In a daily bulletin from our hotel, this topic was given a small section. Basically, it said the 15% service charge that is added to a restaurant tab is to cover breakage (and something else I cannot remember), that it is distributed among the employees and when a customer feels the service is worthy, additional tipping should be considered.

If this is true, as a customer, I don't think I should be responsible for paying for the breakage of dishes/glasses in a restaurant. I have to believe that in most cases, those things are balanced in the prices of drinks and food in an establishment.

It has always bugged me that restaurants do not have to pay their employees a 'fair' wage - it's up to the customers to supply their income. Why is that? Other businesses have overhead too, and are responsible for paying the salaries of their employees.

If they include a service charge--DO NOT add any tip. Service charge is the tip.

what hotel was that? i have never heard of such a thing!

Char, Ive been saying this for yrs now. People say it is all over the Caribbean. That doesnt mean its right! Over 8 persons at a dinner in the US usually is reason to get the tip added so the waitstaff dont get stiffed. The 15% should go to your server and he/she should share that with a agreed percentage with the person bussing tables. Thats it, njot the kitchen, breakage and more etc.

Try clicking on the "Older messages" in this bulletin board and continue clicking back until you see:

IMPROPER ARUBA DESCRIPTIONS, its about 3 or 4 clicks back in the older message heading at the top or bottom of each page.
PS: you'll get to learn in these BB's that mmany people dont have any concern of prices or how they are getting ripped off with add ons.
The, Improper Aruba Descriptions, tells it all and it will show you how some idiots reason things out. Have fun....and write back with your thoughts in this page.

It was my understanding from reading here prior to our trip that the service charge WAS a tip. However, in one instance, a restaurant menu states 'gratuity is not included' and yet, the 15% service charge was added to the bill. Unless there is exceptional service (and the only time I can say we got that was on the MorningStar)
I wouldn't tip additional.

Regardless of what is policy in Aruba or elsewhere, I expect to tip for good service and have no issues with a gratuity being added to large parties. A country club we belonged to for years opted for the policy of adding the gratuity to every bill. I found out that the owners were pocketing that money and the employees were NOT getting it.

Like I said - restaurants seem to be exempt from being responsible for paying the salaries of their employees. I don't get it! I was in sales for 20+ years, gave my customers top notch customer service and I never once had anyone hand me a tip!!

We just got back after being there for a week.
Don Carlos in Orangestad was the only place I was hit with the 15% service charge.
Beware of Don Carlos, its right on the waterfront in Orangestad

You do not want wait staff to be paid a regular salary like employees of other businesses because then there would be no incentive to provide excellent service. Likewise, service people provide great service expecting fair treatment from guests. Perhaps they add in 15% automatically because too many tourists stuck-it to the service people. Keep in mind that if the staff was paid a salary you, i.e. tourists, would still be paying them indirectly through higher food prices since owners will want to maintain profit margins. Just don't eat at places that have crappy service and all is "even-steven."

You gotta be kidding! You either ate at some remote eatery or you didnt check your bill. 15% is added to almost every nice sit down type restaurant.
With the exclusion of ElGaucho and Buccaneer, I cant think of any other place that excludes the 15%. I may after I post this but 15% is literally everywhere in Aruba. A light bulb went off, Tony Romas doesnt add the 15%. Not sure but I believe Im correct.
Its flat out unethical to expect a customer pay a so called service charge to cover normal restaurant expenses.
Heres a better, unethical example. I once saw 15% added to our bill and it was defined as a "Tax".
The island, the wonderful Arubans, the weather, ocean, you name it is heaven +. The businesses, foreign owned, is not without greed and advantage takers.

The minority cares because it will have a long time effect on vacationers. The majority simply do not care or bother with the details. Sad, very sad.

pros and cons are good for business and open unaware eyes relating to this subject.

15% added to you bill automatically should go to the waitress and buss people.
The kitchen help, and all the other people or outlets that need to be paid should be, Right and Proper, paid by the owners of the establishments.
They are charging you very high prices for dinners and then tacking on 15% more to help them pay for their expenses. This is flat out wrong!
As I said before this is greed and taking advantage of people who come to Aruba not so often or are there for the first time. The mentality and logic is that in high season vacationers are away and out for a great time. These unaware vacationers will pay whatever because #1 they cannot do anything about it anyway, #2 half of them dont even think about it, much less care anyway.
The meals go up in price yearly to cover so-called increased prices and they still want the 15% to help pay their internal bills.

How about 15% added to you bill if you buy even just one drink at any bar??
Does the whole 15% go to the bartender or does the house take good percentage of it and use it to pay for the water to wash the glass??

PS; There are hardly any if none at all good restaurants in Aruba that have "Crappy Service" as defined here. They are mostly staffed by wonderful friendly and always trying to please, ARUBANS. These people need to be rewarded for their continued great service yr after yr. Best reward is to put it in their pockets! Not take most of it away and pay internal expenses. Next time ask a waiter/waitress, whats their percentage of the 15% that goes directly to them. Then say its fair...

Jill - Like I said before - the 15% service charge is just plain greedy and it has become the norm in Aruba. I would really like to know how many restaurants there use the service charge to cover operational expenses.